I've said it before and I'll say it again, the life of a dilettante can often be a fast paced, always on the go and let's face it, not very lucrative life. That being said, there's no stopping me. When there's places to be and people to see, you've got to get there and the cheapest way is most often the public way. Transportation, whether it's undergrounds, trains, buses, trollies or gondolas (yes, gonodolas), can be a challenge so here's some advice from someone who's been a few places (again, this will be constantly updated and please, please send in your advice, from one dilettante transient to another--we need each other!)
BOSTON:
Now this city I'm familiar with having spent an umpteen number of years here in college. And yes, I was broke so taking the T was it for me! (har, har) I'm going to admit, having grown up in and out of New York, the T and I had a hate-hate relationship. It was slow, it was outside a lot of the way, it stopped at traffic lights!! YES, i said STOPPED. In the winter, which is a lot of the year in Boston, you have to wait outside. In the snow. And the sleet. And the cold. Why didn't I just take a cab?? Oh yeah, because cabs in Boston are a FORTUNE and few and far between.
So here's the T from an insider: It really isn't as bad as it sounds. Once you learn to wear weather appropriate clothing (a total bonus: you usually only have to wait no more than 5 minutes for a train), start timing the stop lights, and stop traveling during rush hour, the T is actually quite pleasant.
Here are the PROS:
*It's air condition in the summer. Boston is HOT.
*If you're taking the B line up Comm Ave or Beacon Street, you can usually get away with taking EITHER the B or C line, and the further out of town you get, you can even take the D line. Now you T riding newbies are probably thinking, huh? Yeah, I did that too. The Green line splits into 4 lines once it goes above ground (where you wait in the sleet, snow, and cold) and this is the line I'm most familiar with having gone to BU-The B Line runs down BU campus. There are also the lines that are the slowest because they pass through the most traffic. Here's my advice: avoid the B line if you can, take the C line if it works (It's more scenic on Beacon Street in my opinion, anyway) and the D line is the best. The E line, well, no one really takes that unless they're hitting the MFA or Northeastern, yeah, boring.
*Boston is a walking city but it's pretty big, when possible, compare the T map with a city map, you may be able to get to where you want to go by staying on one line and not changing to three different lines.
*The Silver Line. It's awesome and it great for getting to the airport which is already right in the city--total bonus!
Ok, I have to do it, here are the CONS:
*Rush hour is a bitch. And rush hour during a Red Sox game is a bitch without a bone. Nothing, and I mean nothing is worse than coming home after a long day at work downtown and not being able to get on a single Green Line (B, C, or D) train. They all stop in Kenmore Square, the home of Fenway, and are PACKED on game days and Sox fans aren't your typical fans if you know what I mean; alcohol consumption on public transportation goes without saying on game days.
My advice and what I resorted to: check the game schedule before you leave for the day, pack a pair of sneakers, and hoof it. The season runs Spring through Fall--good walking weather.
*Sometimes, ok a lot of the time, the trains run express, particularly during rush hour, and the T driver (yes, we still have those) will randomly announce it in the middle of the trip. If you have headphones in, make sure you watch for a mass exodus at a random stop. Getting stuck on a train going all the way to the end is a bummer. Believe me.
This all being said, I am a veritable expert on the MBTA Green line but all lines, from my experience, are fairly reliable, the Green line just happens to be one of the busiest. The T is a great little friendly system: enjoy that Boston scenery when you're above ground, make friends and don't forget to ring for your stop!
PARIS:
LONDON:
